Saturday, October 11, 2014

A Thing crafted over a kazillion kid swimming and music lessons and half hour work breaks. Lots of slivers of crafty therapy slotted into long days. (But only two instances of red traffic light craft with kids screeching GREEN! GO! at relevant sort of moments).

Way back, the original intent was for some out-of-character, understated, blankety loveliness. Elegant, textural, minimalist. EXACTLY LIKE KYLIE’S! (Love your blanket, K).

See that yellow border there? Pure colour therapy. I couldn’t look at another ball of charcoal grey.

Today I came to terms with the fact that I will never be understated or elegant or textural or minimalist (sob). And nor will my blankets. I went out and chose yarn for the next blankety therapy thing.

Sixteen colours. YEE HAR!

.........................

Vital Stats Bizzo: 1500mm x 1300mm, 56 squares of some pattern found in some book which I have placed somewhere verrrrry safe. (???). But I evolved the pattern umpteen times (after losing my book) and these were crocheted on the fly, and well, you know? Border also helpfully pulled out of thin air. Yarn: 8ply Totem and Cleckheaton Country. Toasty warm but a bit on the scratchy side. Which is why I forked out for cashmerino today and shall henceforth live on plain pasta on toast. Or something.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

I’ve been busily camping between two houses (don’t ask) because we decided to move with a week’s notice (don’t ask) and an internet connection seems as unlikely as a Socceroos World Cup win (don’t ask). I’ve been working my cotton socks off – seemingly 24/7 – and doing my damndest to remember to be Earthmother Person inbetween. There’s an occasional win (and it turns out I AM SO DAMNED GOOD AT THE SEX ED THING – I don’t even raise a faint blush – NOT EVEN WITH RANDOM POP QUESTIONS OUT OF LEFT-FIELD – WOOHOO!) but there’s a lot of head firmly in hands. I have been a crapola friend because I am never around and when I remember to return a call it is 3am. This has proven generally unpopular. I have shrunk (it’s not like I had a height excess thing on my side) as my spine slowly compacts with all the sitting about bizzo.

Pfff...pfff...pfff...pfff...

Today I peered past my computer screen and looked out my window and spotted this tenacious little guy. He’s about the size of my thumb. I have small thumbs.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

I thought I’d flounce in, armed with my newly-reset Google password access, sleeves rolled-up, all purposeful and actiony! I’d throw open the curtains, let in some air of freshness, set the dust bunnies all a tizz...

Um.

The dust bunnies look so cozy all clumped in the corner, snoring away, oblivious-like. I just watched the Gmail account stretch languidly on the sofa, comfortable in the certainty that if you’re quiet for long enough, even the spammers go away. I’m not sure I’m even s’posed to be here?

The Foxy Lady and the Koo extricated a pledge of sorts. A blog post by year end.Nitpick ye not! At time of typing, six hours and fifty-three minutes of 2013 are yet to tick in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

.........................

In September we had a Grand Adventure.

In the three days before the Mr and I hauled three kids and four pieces of luggage on to a plane Europe-bound, I:

On the day that the Mr and I hauled three kids and four pieces of luggage on to a plane Europe-bound, I:

• had the gut-wrenching realisation that some ridiculous airline policy involving non-opening windows, dictated that jelly snakes would not see me through a lengthy bit of kid-accompanied travel which made previous camping commutes look a breeze.

29 hours after the Mr and I hauled three kids and four pieces of luggage on to a plane Europe-bound, I:

• (and the Mr and the three kids and the four pieces of luggage) arrived at the house of my inlaws;

• could not access my multi-currency passport account to pay for a Grand Adventure;

• wistfully reminisced over the cancelled credit card;

• began to take pictures.

’Scuse me, while I rummage around in the cupboards looking for the bloggy gadget that attaches 1,071 holiday snaps...

1. We arrived as Summer wilted away:

2. For good times with beloved ones:

3. Fossicked for fossils on the Jurassic Coast and met two Real Ichthyosaur Hunters who offered excellent hunting-type tips and gave the Middle Kid a fossilised (not fresh, obviously), Ichthyosaur poo:

4. The kids (and on occasion, me, when not perfecting plate-spinning skills) seemed to climb everything: quarries, bumps in the Peaks District, even a Dutch Ayers Rock(ironic on soooo many levels):

24. (We searched the whole of the Wobbly Bridge until we found the artists’ favourite piece: the 2013 Fried Egg):

1,071. Goodbyes always-always-always the hardest:

Hello 2014.

.........................

PS. Thank you JanetStuartHelen, JudeCharlesThomasElla, KerrieChrisBo, EllenAllardJorisSaar for your fabulous hospitality and wonderful company (even if my children now believe that EVERYONE in the WHOLE of EnglandHollandFrance ALWAYS eats dessert at EVERY meal). xxx

About Me

Mother of three, wife to one, designer and craftster of the slightly obsessive kind. Myrtle and Eunice were two lovely old ladies who connected weekly over the Scrabble tiles. These Saturday battles of will and skill were a ritual as comfy as a hot Milo and handknitted blanket on a frosty day.